


Counting the Ways

by CtheGuitarman



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/F, Lemon, Love, Romance, Sex, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-22
Updated: 2013-10-21
Packaged: 2017-12-30 03:09:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1013369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CtheGuitarman/pseuds/CtheGuitarman
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.<br/>Why do the characters of Mass Effect love each other?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Counting the Ways

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first smut, so please be gentle with reviews. Right now this is also just a first draft.

Counting the Ways: The Real Thing

A lot of people saw Maia Shepard and thought they knew her.  
On the surface she was uncomplicated. Her family died at Mindoir in a batarian raid. Her unit was wiped out on Akuze by a Thresher Maw. But where some might have been sharpened by those events, honed into a righteous blade, Maia had become softer. The rough edges of a wild youth smoothed to become compassion, and a sense of justice that was unshakable. That was where the first misunderstandings came. They thought that because she spoke softly and held up her hands she would be an apologist, and would back down when confronted. But the lines in the sand were plain from her eyes, and people who crossed them tended to regret it. She had killed two Reapers after all.  
Back in boot some of the grunts had thought they knew her better. On the range she was cold, and more than one recruit had called her the Ice Queen after the zero-g training outside of Arcturus. But once you got her back in the mess, and the topic of the next prank came up, her eyes lit up and she was right in the thick of it. They all knew that the soft exterior masked a passion that burned as strongly as any of theirs, whether it was for fun or for righteous payback to some out-of-line gunny sergeant, Shepard was always at the forefront of the crowd. And if they’d been out on leave, and there had been some hot young senator’s daughter or raven haired trainee doctor enjoying the drink, it was always Shepard who would wipe the tequila off her lips, turn to the grunts and wink. “Let’s see where she swings boys,” was the call, and every night the money came down on whether Maia would be rolling in at oh-six-hundred hours the next morning with her hair out of place and the same clothes from the night before.  
They all thought they knew what she was like. “Looks like the nurse is going home with a sore ass.” “I wonder if the senator’s daughter likes whips and chains as much as her daddy?”  
*  
Liara had always been put into other people’s pigeonholes.  
When she was young she had been the pureblood. The outcast, the freak. She had been so quiet that several of her teachers thought she was stupid. But it wasn’t that. She didn’t want to talk, because every time she talked, other people talked. She had stayed quiet through school, through university, and then she had moved right out to the edge of space. Even there the whispers had followed her. Liara T’soni, who ran away to escape the stigma of her birth. Liara T’soni, who was so bad at talking she went to talk to dead things.  
The Normandy had accepted her, but even there she had been the quiet one. Wrex didn’t talk much sure, but he was the gruff kind of quiet. The thinly veiled angry one. Tali could go hours without talking, but if anyone brought up an engine or a ship she would be off like a rocket. No one would shut her up for love or money. Garrus, Ashley, Kaidan, even Pressley and Adams and Joker all talked more than she seemed to. It wasn’t that they thought her silence was a bad thing, they just seemed to assume that because she was quiet she didn’t have anything to say. She supposed it must be a human thing. They all had so much to say, but she had learned long ago that when she started to talk about the Protheans or the latest Earth movie she had watched or the latest Turian battle drama she was watching day and night people’s eyes went blank. So she learned to keep it inside.  
That was the first time Shepard had surprised her. When she stayed to listen to everything she had to say about the Protheans, and asked her own questions. They had discussed asari culture, human culture, their mission, their teammates. Shepard seemed to value everything she had to say. One day, by accident, she had let slip how much she had been enjoying Unification: Honour and Blood, and instead of looking at her like she was mad Shepard had asked what it was. Shyly, tentatively, Liara had explained. Unification was the story of the lost turian colonies. A dramatisation of the last days and how the colonists had fought bravely to survive and make sure their insignia survived across the galaxy.  
Shepard had nodded, smiled, and left like a woman on a mission.  
Liara hadn’t given it any more thought. Shepard might have had a passing interest in Protheans in as much as they related to the mission, but there was no chance she was going to be watching Turian docu-dramas. Which was why she had been surprised when Shepard came back to her three days later with a beaten up old sigil and the full collection of Unification on OSD. Including all the bonus features and directors’ and actors’ commentary. Apparently when Shepard had spoken to the Turian homeworld about recovering their colonial sigils in exchange for a box set of Unification they had jumped at the chance.  
From there things had spiralled so badly, for both of them. Liara suggested asari literature for Shepard to read, and often came back to find old earth movies on OSDs next to her computer. It might not have been as romantic as love letters or flowers, but they both knew exactly what it meant.  
Liara had never given much thought to love. A lifetime of exclusion, both unwanted and wanted would do that to you. But now she found she preferred the old earth Romantic Comedies, and even reread a few of the tattered old asari romance novels her mother had forbidden her from ever reading. She had to admit that one or two of the scenes in Enkindling Desire might have made her cringe, but the depiction of the old earth primitive sent forwards in time to land on Thessia (Cowboys and Asari) had made her tingle in a way she hadn’t felt in ages. After reading it she had bitten her bottom lip and looked furtively at the computer. Surely one little search couldn’t hurt?  
Three hours later she was bright pink, had unbuttoned the top few buttons on her shirt, and had a strong urge to have a very cold shower.  
Apparently human men and women were very different, even more than the obvious differences in the chest area. She wouldn’t be able to look Kaidan in the eye for weeks, just knowing it was there. Human women seemed a little more manageable though. They seemed to be basically the same down there, and maybe the same actions would work for both her and… someone who was going to remain unnamed until they could have a very good conversation about what they wanted.  
Curious, Liara tiptoed to her door and pressed her ear against it. She thought Chakwas had gone to sleep, but she locked the door anyway. Shepard sometimes roamed the ship at odd hours, and since she knew Liara didn’t sleep as much as humans she sometimes popped in for a chat.  
Liara didn’t really know what she was doing, but after a few minutes she found a comfortable position where she could see the computer screen but also do… other things. She flicked through the search until she found an image of a human who looked a lot like a certain someone who was still going to remain unnamed. Feeling incredibly self conscious she reached down to the button of her trousers and laid her fingers on it. Biting her lip and looking from the screen to her own hand she made the decision and unpopped the buttons, shoving her trousers and her underwear down to her knees in one motion. She spent several seconds half naked, just looking down at her bare legs and the bare skin just above her vagina. Giving it such a clinical name didn’t feel right, but she didn’t know any others. Gently, delicately, she let her hand fall between her legs.  
*  
Shepard ground her teeth together and arched her back as she came again, her whole body shaking. She was glad for the soundproofing and the lock on her door as she let loose a string of curses which would have made a batarian slaver blush. She ended it with a long, juddering, “ffuuuuuck,” as she collapsed down onto her sheets in a sweaty heap. She had barely even started for the night and already she had soaked the bed and her legs and the knickers which were hanging somewhere around her knees. She kicked them off now and let her hands come up her body. She kept on stretching until her shoulders were raised off the mattress and her back gave a satisfying click. The thought of a certain scientist being only three doors away, barely a thirty second walk, was giving her more than enough fodder tonight without the need for a computer. She imagined doing that now, just marching over, her hair stuck to her forehead, naked and sweaty.  
She would march right into the little room, grab Liara and push her back onto the desk, kissing those incredible blue lips and tearing that prim and perfect coat off her to show blue skin underneath. Shepard’s fingers found her own lips again, a gentle touch, her fingertips brushing up and down until she couldn’t stand the teasing and pressed her thumb down hard just above her pussy, her index finger sliding easily inside herself. She found the rhythm, lost it, then found a new one that sent spasms up her spine. The thought of blue skin, blue legs parting to reveal a deeper, darker blue. She would kiss all the way up those legs, all the way to the hot, soaking wet centre of Liara, and she would let her tongue and her lips touch and kiss every centimetre of skin. Shepard breathed hard, already feeling the familiar tingle in her stomach.  
*  
Liara gasped and cried out, shaking so hard she fell right off her chair and landed hard on the ground. It didn’t stop her though, and her fingers kept working completely without her control, pushing harder and harder on the one spot that made her eyes go blurry and her muscles go weak. She moaned deep and guttural at the back of her throat, her face pressed against the floor and her bottom stuck up in the air as she rubbed faster and faster, feeling wetness dripping onto her fingers as she screamed the names of all the goddesses and a dozen swear words she never even knew she knew, finally only one name she repeated over and over as the pleasure ebbed and she was able to think again. Her hand dropped from between her legs and she collapsed onto her side, curling into a ball to try and keep the warm feeling in her chest from going. She felt like she should say something, but all that came out was, “oh.”  
*  
The final orgasm left her quivering from head to toe. She wanted to curl into a ball, and she was acutely aware that the room was too cold, or she was too warm, but Shepard couldn’t move a muscle. All of her energy had been drained in one final effort that had left her screaming. Finally she was able to grab the thin blanket and tug it half-heartedly up to her chest, covering her breasts and tucking the sheet in tight under her body. She blinked the room back into focus and took a deep breath to try and bring her heart beat back down to normal. There was something different about it this time, she just knew it.  
*  
“Liara.”  
“Shepard.”  
It was funny actually. She was trying as hard as she could not to stare at the Commander as they prepped for the mission on Binthu. She knew she should be worrying about the Cerberus commandos. She knew she should be worried for the fate of Admiral Kahoku, and part of her was, it really was. But part of her kept remembering how less than six hours ago she had had her hands down between her legs in the shower pounding the wall and gasping out Shepard’s name. Just imagining that the commander was in there with her, water and sweat mingling on their bodies as their breasts pressed together, fingers pressed against her  
She realised she was actually starting to flush in the middle of the debriefing and looked over to Wrex to try and take her mind off it.  
Before they got into the mako Shepard touched her arm. “Are you alright Liara? You seem distracted.”  
I want you up against the mako right now. “I’m fine Shepard. I’m just concerned for our mission.”  
“Don’t worry. I’ll be with you the whole time.” Shepard winked at her and climbed in.  
*  
"We don't have to do this." She was standing in Shepard’s cabin watching the most self assured woman she knew suddenly express doubts. "Not unless you're sure."  
"I have never been more sure of anything in my life." She stepped in so close that her breath was tickling Shepard's neck. "Will you join with me Shepard, let our bodies and minds unite?"  
Strong arms came around her and Shepard drew them together. "Just tell me what to do."  
Liara didn’t spend long on Shepard’s lips, preferring to make her way down to the soft skin of her neck. Shepard’s hands had come up to lightly grip her head as she moved further down, but before she could reach any buttons Shepard pulled her up and kissed her firmly on the mouth. Their lips parted and she felt Shepard’s tongue push into her mouth. The feel of it shocked her, but it was warm and wet and she only let Shepard keep control for a second before she tried moving her own tongue. Seconds later the pulled apart and Liara found she was panting. “I think you may have a little more experience, ah, than I do."  
Shepard grinned at that, and it was such an unguarded look that Liara couldn’t help but fall in love right in that moment. Her hands were still wrapped around Shepard’s back but now she tightened them and pulled the woman in so close that she could feel her nipples, hard enough to be felt through both their tops.  
Shepard pulled her up and kissed her full on the mouth, shutting her up and enjoying the look of joy that flooded across her face. The asari's hands were running down her back, and now gripped hard, forcing them harder together. Shepard spun them and they tumbled backwards onto the bed, struggling with clasps and zips. Shepard's trousers ended up on the floor while Liara's jacket got caught on the computer, cutting out that light source.  
"I don't even know if you're, uh," Shepard couldn't think of a way to ask about alien anatomy and keep the mood, but Liara was guiding her hand down, and she felt herself blushing a little as she realised, Well, that answers one question I had.  
Liara bit her lip, her eyes squeezed tight as she helped Shepard remember how it all went together. It was beginning to feel right, the two of them moving slowly, finding the right pace. Shepard continued to undress the scientist, marvelling at the blue skin, almost luminescent, as it was revealed. Hands were tugging off her shirt, and she smiled up at Liara, who had finally opened her eyes, now turned completely black.  
Searching fingers found an old scar, running along her side, a deep track left by a plasma burner, nearly thirteen years ago at Mindoir. The sensitive skin tensed up under the touch, and Shepard's body arched up into Liara's. "Well that was a response." The asari smiled down at her.  
"I'll show you a response." Shepard bucked her hips and they rolled over, Liara now underneath as Shepard pinned her arms down and bent into kiss her.  
"Goddess yes," Liara moaned, tipping her head back to allow Shepard access to her neck again.  
Cinnamon and strawberries, Shepard remembered as she kissed her way down Liara's body, She smells just like cinnamon and strawberries.  
She was tired of being sensitive. She grabbed Liara’s trousers and yanked them halfway off, not waiting before she bent down and licked the soft white panties Liara had on. The asari gasped and her hands came down to grasp Shepard’s hair. Shepard ignored her, bringing a finger up and running it down the inside of Liara’s leg. The muscles tensed and relaxed again. Shepard grinned, her face still buried between Liara’s legs. The movement caused another spasm of pleasure and she took advantage of it, pulling the panties aside to reveal dark blue skin, glistening with wetness. She licked the edge of Liara’s lips and enjoyed the shudder that ran through her lover.  
“Maia,” Liara barely breathed it, but her hands were strong as they gripped Shepard’s hands and pulled her up and away. Their lips met and Liara took control this time, twining her fingers in Shepard’s hair and keeping them together. Shepard put her own hands just above Liara’s shoulders, holding herself just about the asari, their breasts barely touching. They finally broke apart, Liara’s eyes still pure black.  
“You’re beautiful,” Shepard told her. She mentally kicked herself as she realised how cheesy that sounded. Liara didn’t seem to mind though, smiling and tracing a finger down Maia’s neck.  
“No one’s told me that since my mother,” she said quietly.  
“Well it’s true.” Shepard leant down and kissed her neck. “You are,” she moved down to the top of Liara’s breast. “So beautiful,” down into the soft skin between her breasts. “I can’t believe how lucky I am.”  
She realised that Liara’s hands were moving behind her back, finding the clasp on her bra and undoing it. She sat up, letting the bra slide down her arms before flicking it away. The look on Liara’s face was beyond sexy. It was like she had never seen someone naked before.  
Ah.  
“This is your first time isn’t,” she said.  
Liara flushed and looked away. “I hope I’m not disappointing.”  
“Couldn’t possibly be.” Shepard felt a little guilty, and unconsciously crossed her arms, shielding herself. Liara reached up and pulled her arms apart, bringing her down at the same time.  
“What’s wrong?”  
Shepard rolled off to lie next to her. “Just wishing I hadn’t, y’know.”  
“You have experience.” It wasn’t a question.  
“More than I’d like.”  
“You shouldn’t feel embarrassed for your past. I am embarrassed I don’t know what I’m doing.”  
“You’re doing well so far.”  
“Thank you,” Liara moved in closer and kissed Shepard’s neck, making her shiver. She moved down, dragging her tongue across Shepard’s nipple, slowly and deliberately. Shepard’s breath caught in her throat and she bit her lip, relaxing back and letting Liara lap her way across her chest, biting and licking and running her fingers up to cup her breasts, squeezing gently.  
Shepard decided that Liara was wearing entirely too many clothes. She undid the clasp on Liara’s bra with a single deft flick, rolling her onto her back and sliding down the bed until she was level with Liara’s hips. She grasped the panties, now thoroughly soaked, and slid them right down to Liara’s ankles. Before she could even move back up she felt fingers sliding into the band of her own knickers. She grinned and moved to her hands and knees, giving Liara an unobstructed view as she lost her underwear.  
“Oh,” Liara sounded more than a little shocked.  
Self conscious again, Shepard sat up, resisting the urge to grab the blanket. “What’s wrong?”  
“It doesn’t look…” Liara realised what she was about to say and bit her lip. “I looked on the net. I wanted to know what you might look like.”  
Shepard looked down at herself. “Uh. What’s wrong?”  
Liara bit her lip and looked away, blushing furiously. “Hair.”  
“Hair?”  
“You have hair. Y’know. There.”  
Shepard snorted with laughter. “That’s it?”  
“I am not used to this. I did not know what you would look like.”  
“Sorry. It’s just. “Shepard leaned forwards and kissed her softly. “It’s nothing.”  
“We are so different.” Liara let Shepard push her backwards onto the sheets, nudging her legs apart. “I like it.”  
“I like it too.” Shepard dragged her own leg up until it rested lightly against Liara’s lips. She pushed, ever so slightly, and enjoyed Liara’s eyes widening. “We’re pretty similar as well.”  
“Oh really?” Liara brought her hand up between Shepard’s legs and pressed her fingers hard against Shepard’s clit. She gasped and shuddered from head to foot.  
There was no more talking. Shepard kissed Liara, almost savage, and pushed a hand between Liara’s legs, moving her fingers in a slow circle until her fingers were soaked and Liara was panting beneath her. She teased one of the dark blue nipples between her teeth and slid a finger inside her lover, curling it and searching for that one special spot. Liara’s breathing turned harsh and she made a sound in the back of her throat, somewhere between a moan and a squeak. Shepard bit down harder, moving her fingers as fast as she could. Liara bucked and gasped, her hands scratching up and down Shepard’s back.  
“Shepard, Shepard, oh goddess, goddess, ah!”  
When Liara came it was loud and messy, soaking Shepard’s fingers and ruining the bed. Liara’s spine arched up and she screamed something in asari. Shepard hung on, kissing her breasts and working her fingers even as Liara rolled on top of her, cradling her face and kissing everywhere she could reach. Shepard let herself be pushed onto her back as Liara’s breathing slowed and she was able to open her eyes again. They were fading back to their usual blue, and the trust in them scared Shepard.  
Before she could speak Liara was moving, down between her legs, kissing every inch of skin along the way. Goosebumps rippled across Shepard’s skin and her head fell back as Liara reached the base of her stomach. Liara’s fingers were there as well, brushing through the soft hair and pressing against her skin. Liara was fascinated by the softness. Shepard was hard almost everywhere. Muscle and sinew. But her breasts were smooth, and down between her legs Liara found tender skin that jumped to the touch. She kissed the very top of Shepard’s vagina, and above her the woman groaned and flexed.  
She kissed again, longer and deeper, letting her lips part and her tongue flick at Shepard’s clit. Meanwhile she pushed a finger experimentally inside Shepard, trying to remember what Shepard had done to her minutes before. She moved her finger back and forth, still icking and kissing the outside. Shepard arched her back and tried to push herself harder against Liara’s face. Liara responded by dragging her finger slowly along the inside of Shepard’s vagina, feeling the muscles contract and squeeze her finger hard. She did it again and got the same reaction.  
“Faster,” Shepard mumbled. “Please.”  
It was the please that did it. She was begging for it. For Liara to stop teasing her and figure out what she was doing and just fuck her for the love of the goddess. Now or never T’soni.  
She sped up, moving her finger as fast as she could. It was impossible to keep her lips in place so she used her other hand, making circles, then asari letters, traced across Shepard’s skin. Shepard was soaked in sweat, her legs trembling as every wave of pleasure rolled over her. Finally she came, in a long shuddering gasp. Her fingers balled on the bedsheets and her heels dragged against the covers as her entire body tensed. It was like nothing she had ever felt. She had always thought you needed to scream, to curse and shout. But this was deeper, fuller. She lost her thoughts, found them again, then lost them as Liara pushed inside her again. It went on forever, and she was aware of every second of it. She could feel Liara, sweet and innocent and making her come harder and longer than she ever had before. She gasped and fought for breath as her chest tightened and relaxed, finally loosening as her muscles turned to mush.  
The room came back to her as Liara’s face came into view. “Are you okay Shepard?”  
She managed to nod, too weak to talk. Liara smiled and kissed her neck again. “I think I left a mark,” she said, brushing her finger on the spot she had kissed. “Your shirt should cover it.”  
“Who cares,” Shepard said, stretching her arms up over her head. “I’m sure everyone already knows.”  
“Ashley and Joker were in the mess hall when I came over. I think they knew I was there as well.”  
“I’m glad they’re together,” Shepard said. “It’ll take some of the attention off us.”  
“You don’t want people to know about us?” Liara pouted, crossing her arms. It had the added effect of pushing her breasts forwards. Shepard couldn’t resist, leaning forwards and digging her nails into the beautiful blue skin. Liara gasped and twisted away.  
“I want you all to myself for a little bit,” Shepard said, crawling forwards.  
“Oh really?” Liara pushed herself up, thrusting her chest forwards. “All of this?”  
Shepard ignored the more obvious target, bending down to kiss the tops of Liara’s feet. “All of this.” She moved slowly, making sure to cover both legs. First the feet, then the thin ankles, then on to her leg, circling around the muscles, then from left to right leg. By the time she reached Liara’s knees the asari’s legs were shaking. “Would you please hurry?” LIara asked, managing to hide the tremor in her voice.  
“No way,” Shepard said as she transferred to the other knee. “We’re taking our time now.”  
“Not before?”  
“Before was to get it out of our system. Now it’s for the real thing.”  
“That, ooh.” Liara flexed as Shepard ran a finger down her leg, barely touching the skin. “That wasn’t the real thing?”  
“Oh no.” Shepard’s fingers went to Liara’s hips and she started to trace patterns. “You’ll see.” She moved down, the heady scent from Liara’s body making her want to jump straight in. Instead she deliberately pulled back and focused on her fingers again, finding she was making letters on Liara’s skin. She smiled a little and spelt out her name, then Liara’s.  
“Please Shepard?”  
“Say my name.”  
Liara brought her chin to her chest and looked up through her lashes, “Maia.” Her voice was smoky and low, and just hearing it made the base of Shepard’s stomach tingle.  
“Do that again,” she said.  
“Excuse me?” Liara sat up properly, and now when she looked at Shepard it was with a look more like her mother than herself. “Do you make the rules now?”  
Shepard leaned back, surprised at this sudden change. “Wha-?”  
“Lie back,” Liara said. “Now.” She put her hands on Shepard’s shoulders and forced her back. “You might be the commander out there. But not here.” She put a hand firmly on Shepard’s chest, squeezing it roughly and dragging her hand down Shepard’s stomach. Shepard tried to sit, but Liara stopped and gave her a stern look. “Did I say you could move?”  
“Sorry,” Shepard said, lying back and trying to control her breathing.  
Liara moved both her hands down Shepard’s stomach now, bringing them up and away until only her fingertips were touching flesh. She didn’t say anything as she slid one hand between Shepard’s legs and let it rest there. Her other hand went between her own legs and she started to rub herself, moving slowly and softly, her eyes fluttering closed and her chest heaving as she worked her fingers round and round. Shepard tried to wriggle against Liara’s fingers but she only stopped and looked down at her. Shepard stayed still, watching as Liara brought herself right to the edge once, then twice, then a third time. “Fuck,” she said. “Li-”  
Before she could finish the word Liara slipped two fingers inside her.  
She was already on the edge, she hadn’t even realised. In under a minute she felt her orgasm coming, her hands going to her breasts, teasing her nipples and pushing herself against Liara’s fingers. Liara was coming as well, her moans getting louder and louder until she was screaming in asari. Shepard couldn’t even scream, panting as if she had run a marathon. They came almost together, Liara convulsing and bringing her body right over Shepard’s, close enough for Shepard to grab her and pull them together. Liara shuddered against her as she continued to orgasm, pushing Shepard over the edge again.  
She didn’t even know if it was the same orgasm or another one starting but she came again hard, finding her voice and screaming Liara’s name, somewhere among a flurry of curses. Liara was doing the same, Shepard’s name on her lips in between the asari. They ground together, Liara’s hands still between them, a third wave hitting them both until they could do nothing more than gasp against each other.  
Finally it ended, and Liara slid until she was half on the bed, half on Shepard. They lay like that for nearly a minute, too exhausted to talk. Eventually Liara moved, bringing her arm up to lie across Shepard’s stomach.  
“You were right,” she said sleepily.  
“Mm?”  
“That was the real thing.”  
“It was.” Shepard leaned down to kiss the top of Liara’s head. “Definitely the real thing.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you search out MelasZepheos on fanfiction.net and find the story Into Greatness, my Mass Effect novelisation, you'll get the back story to this relationship.


End file.
